Dutch speed skaters De Boo, Kok crowned world sprint champions on home ice

THE HAGUE, March 7 (Xinhua) -- Dutch skaters Jenning de Boo and Femke Kok were crowned men's and women's world champions at the ISU World Sprint Speed Skating Championships in Heerenveen on Friday.

De Boo captured his first world sprint title with a record-breaking combination score, finishing 0.830 points ahead of American Olympic champion Jordan Stolz. Defending champion Ning Zhongyan of China secured the bronze medal.

The result saw De Boo and Stolz switch positions from the Olympic podium earlier in Milan, where the American had taken two golds from the 500m and 1,000m events. Stolz had also aimed to become the first skater to win both the sprint and all-round world titles in the same week, but it was De Boo that established a strong lead on Thursday, winning the first 500m and 1,000m races ahead of Stolz.

De Boo continued his form on Friday by winning the second 500m title in 33.93 seconds, becoming the only skater to break the 34-second barrier on both days of the competition. Stolz finished second in 34.17, while Canada's Laurent Dubreuil placed third in 34.32.

Entering the final 1,000 meters with a comfortable margin, De Boo sealed the overall title by finishing second in one minute and 7.40 seconds. Stolz won the distance in 1:07.26 but was unable to overturn the deficit in the overall standings.

With his four-event total, De Boo broke the world record in the sprint combination, surpassing the mark set by compatriot Kai Verbij in 2017.

"It's the most beautiful speed skating weekend of my life," De Boo told the ISU official website after the victory.

Ning finished the final 1,000 meters in 1:07.88, which proved enough for the Milan-Cortina Olympic 1,500m champion to secure third overall and retain a place on the podium.

Earlier, Kok led a historic clean sweep for the Netherlands in the women's sprint competition, claiming the title ahead of compatriots Suzanne Schulting and Marrit Fledderus.

The Olympic 500m champion dominated the two-day event and became the first athlete to win all four races at a single World Sprint Championships. Schulting finished second overall after placing runner-up in each of the four races, while Fledderus completed the all-Dutch podium.

It marked the first time athletes from the same country have swept the women's podium at the World Sprint Championships.

"I'm very grateful to win this one in front of all those people in the stands," Kok said after securing her first world sprint crown.

The World Sprint Championships, first held in 1970, feature two 500-meter and two 1,000-meter races skated over two days for both men and women. Final rankings are determined by the Samalog system, which converts race times into points across the four events. ■